'She would just drop': Mum's terror over child's condition

Sarah began writing in 2014 and for The Observer in 2015. She left the region in 2017 for a reporting stint at the Sunshine Coast and returned to her hometown one year later. From day one she has had a keen interest in police, court and crime reporting.

Joanne said she hoped her daughter's story would encourage other families with a child suffering from epilepsy to "trust the surgical outcomes".

"Epilepsy is a common brain disorder, and yet, the major obstacles for people living with epilepsy are ignorance, stigma, discrimination and fear.

"My message to other families is to have the courage to take the leap, because epileptic seizures are not only frightening to live through, they require lots of management, particularly when your child is out and about.

"Ensuring normalcy for my daughter, so that she could keep going to dance classes and attending school, was my priority."